On a recent Thursday morning, Israeli families in southern Gaza awoke to the sound of explosions. This, unfortunately, is something that has been experienced by many Israelis in recent years. But the explosions on the morning in question were especially significant. Just two days before, on Feb. 8, a cease-fire agreement was reached between Palestinian and Israeli leaders, an event heralded by many as a “breakthrough” in the Middle-Eastern conflict.

The mortar shells fired by militants just two days later served as a chilling reminder that a “breakthrough” in this conflict requires much more than smiles and signatures. The fact that more attacks came such a short time after the Egyptian summit illustrates an important aspect of the conflict that is largely ignored today.

The attacks show that a cease-fire is not, and never has been, a goal of the Palestinian militants. From the Palestinian Liberation Organization founder’s vow in 1967 to “destroy Israel together with its inhabitants” to a Palestinian sheik’s declaration in 2001 that “God willing, this unjust state [of] Israel will be erased,” it is clear that the intention of Palestinian leadership has never been peace, but instead, destruction.

This fact is evident in the terrorist organizations’ responses to the cease-fire. Hamas declared that it would not endorse the agreement unless more of its demands were met by Israel. Furthermore, Hamas officials “reserved the right to respond to Israeli actions as in Thursday’s attacks.” Statements like this — reserving the “right” to murder innocent civilians — reveal the utterly irrational motives of the militants and make clear that they have no interest in peace. Instead, they demand the release of their fellow criminals from Israeli prisons and a halt to Israel’s anti-terrorist operations.

Consider the incredible hypocrisy of these demands. The terrorists declare that they will only stop their attacks once Israel stops defending itself. They state that the only way they will obey the rule of law is if justice is ignored and criminals are set free. These are not pleas for “peace” or formulas for “coexistence.” There is one, and only one, possible outcome if the demands of the Palestinian terrorists are met: continued violence and death.

In the schoolyard, everyone knows it is folly to believe the bully when he says he will stop trying to beat you up if you just quit running. Yet, this is precisely what the recent cease-fire agreement represents in light of the public statements of the militants today and their past track record. Israel seems, in its eagerness for peace, to have put this knowledge temporarily out of mind.

Last week, Israel released 500 Palestinian prisoners in accordance with the terms of the agreement. As they walked out, the newly freed prisoners smiled and held up their fingers in a “V” sign, signifying “victory.” The question that should be in the minds of all concerned with peace, especially the Israelis, is: victory over what and for whom?

The release of the prisoners is not a victory for justice, peace, security or freedom. No victory can be claimed by the thousands of victims of terrorism or by Israelis experiencing the pervasive fear of living in a de facto war zone. No victory can be claimed by innocent Palestinians who simply want to live in peace. The victory, if it can be called that, is ultimately of violence and death and can be celebrated only by those who seek destruction.

Ayn Rand once wrote, “In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit.” The need for the recognition of this fact is greater today than ever before. Its acceptance or denial will determine the ultimate outcome of the war on terror and the peace process.

The decision confronting Israel and the world in the war on terror: compromise and appeasement of one’s enemies or a principled, intransigent self defense. It is time for the free world, including Israel and the United States, to make its decision.